Telstra is under fire for closing two directory assistance call centers resulting in the loss of 32 jobs.

Centers are being closed in outback Queensland and the NSW country town of Goulburn.

Bruce Scott, National Party MP for Blackall which covers the town of Roma, slammed the closure saying it made a mockery of claims that Telstra was supporting rural Australia.

He said he would urge the government to make Telstra, as part of its licence condition, base most of the executives in charge of its Country Wide rural division in the bush.

"They may have one or two chiefs in the cities but they should have all their indians in the bush," he said.

The government recently added a new condition to Telstra"s operating licence, saying it had to draw up a local presence plan outlining how it will continue to serve the bush after it is fully privatized.

Telstra has drawn up a draft version of its plan, which is currently open to public comment before it is sent to Communications Minister Helen Coonan for approval.

Rebel Queensland Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce also attacked the call centre closures, accusing Telstra of delaying the announcement until the Senate voted on the government"s controversial plan to sell the telco.

A Telstra spokesman said the Roma and Goulburn call centers were closed because they were old and the telco was relocating the services to more modern centers in regional areas.

"Political considerations haven"t entered into this; it is about servicing our customers," he said.